


Bad Pickup Lines and How To Ignore Them

by jujubeans4270



Category: SK8 the Infinity (Anime)
Genre: Bad Pick-Up Lines, Flirting, I wrote this during work, M/M, Matchmaking, No shame there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-19 00:40:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29991252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jujubeans4270/pseuds/jujubeans4270
Summary: Joe is in love with Cherry. That much is obvious.What isn’t obvious at first is how much Cherry loves him back.The story of how 2 idiots fell in love with the power of really bad pickup lines. (And how the kids helped a couple times.)
Relationships: Nanjo Kojiro | Joe/Sakurayashiki Kaoru | Cherry Blossom
Comments: 4
Kudos: 149





	Bad Pickup Lines and How To Ignore Them

Cherry was a tough nut to crack, Joe would be the first to admit that.

Did it help that they had a… past? No. Absolutely not. Joe wasn’t so deluded that he would just assume that Cherry would forget everything that ever happened. But Joe remembers when Cherry would laugh at his stupid jokes and the two of them were closer than they were now.

But Joe had eyes, contrary to popular belief. He wasn’t blind to the fact that Cherry was sex on legs and georgous. And he knew that, regardless of the girls who flocked to him, flirting isn't his strong suit when it came to people he was  _ actually  _ attracted to (aka Cherry and men who  _ looked _ like Cherry).

  
  


"Well, here I am. What are your other two wishes for the genie?" Joe winks at Cherry as he skates up to him.   
He gets punched in the jaw.

The next time Joe tries to flirt with Cherry, he prepares for the best and expects the worst. He’s taking off his windbreaker, getting ready to race, takes a deep breath, and:   
“You’re so hot, my zipper is falling for you.”

Welp… that was not what he wanted to say. 

Cherry kicks his ass in that race.

They’re drunk and tired and stumbling home. Joe doesn’t wanna think about how far away his apartment above the restaurant is so he figures he’ll just ask Cherry. “I love my bed, but I’d rather be in yours...” he sighes into Cherry’s neck, smelling sandalwood and tea. He doesn't remember much else until ice water rains on him the next morning. 

Cherry didn’t hurt him this time.  
But Joe did have to sleep in the bathtub.  
He considers it a win. 

“Joe?” Reki is just staring at him.

“Yes?”

“You like Cherry right? Like… you wanna date him?”

Joe is 90% sure he just swallowed his tongue.

“Because if you do you should just stop with the pickup lines and ask him out. Besides, Langa says Cherry likes you back.”

“Wha?” Joe lets out a little squawk.

And then the two see Cherry and Langa skating towards them, Reki running up and kissing his boyfriend. 

“Are you an exam? Because I have been studying you like crazy.” Joe smiles at Cherry.

Cherry quickly flips his board around to go the other way.  
Reki punches him in the arm with “idiot” under his breath. 

“Joe.” Reki sighs.

“Joe…” Langa hangs his head.

“Joe!” Miya hits him with his hat.

“What!?” 

“Did you really just say to Cherry - ‘Did you know my lips are like Skittles and you’re about to taste the rainbow?’  _ Really _ ?” Miya sounds personally offended.

Joe realizes he should just say it.

“Karou?” Joe slides a cup of tea across the counter.

“What, Joe…” he hums uninterested in the conversation.

“I need to talk to you about something.”

Karou eyes him over the sharp edge of his glasses. “It's not another pickup line, is it?”

Joe swallows.

“The children tell me you’re in love with me.” He offers a sad smile. “I hope they didn't pressure you into anything.”

“What?”

“Women love you and you love women. You should just tell the boys that.”

“Karou … thats not-”

“I have to go.” Karou puts his untouched tea down and leaves.

Joe realizes he's fucked up.

“What did you do?” Miya is sitting on the steps of the restaurant when Joe closes for the evening. 

He looks up and sees Reki and Langa leaning against each other - like the way he used to with Karou - Langa looking disappointed and Reki looking angry. He looks down at Miya and Miya looks like he's about to scratch him. 

“What are you talking about?”

“Cherry came to my house this afternoon.” Reki says it like it answers everything.

“Why?”

“Because you broke his heart.” Miya hisses.

“What?!”

“Cherry’s been in love with you since highschool.” Langa’s pouting. 

“And you just keep flirting with women and breaking his heart.” Reki snaps. 

Miya stands up and tries to look intimidating. “Cherry is-”

“I love Karou.” Joe cut him off.

The boys just stare at him with a bored look on their faces. 

“I love him.” Joe says again.

“Joe?” Karou says, coming around the corner.

  
  


They end up in Joe’s apartment above the restaurant. Joe absently wonders if the kids got home safe, but then Karou is here and taking off a layer because he always thinks Joe keeps his apartment too hot.

“Karou I - “

And Karou kisses him.

Nothing much changes between Cherry and Joe. They still tease and shove and are constantly angry about something or other. But there's an understated and underlying tenderness to it that there wasn't before.

The one thing that does change: Cherry is ruthless.

There's a little brunette attempting to drape herself over Joe tonight.

Cherry pulls up behind him, rests his chin on Joe’s shoulder, and whispers into his ear “I’m having trouble sleeping by myself, can you sleep with me tonight?”

Joe ends up with his wrists tied to the headboard that night.  
He loves every second of it.

The next time it happens it's a pair of blondes. Joe sees Cherry coming this time and is trying to get away from them. Cherry doesnt stop this time and as he's rolling past the group, makes eye contact with Joe before: “That’s a nice shirt. Can I try it on after we have sex?”

Cherry does wear Joe’s shirt the next morning.

He looks gorgeous.

It's raining at S tonight and that means Cherry is extra distracting. His hair is sticking to his face and water is slowly running down his neck. Joe is sure he doesn’t look much dryer. There’s a girl in a swimsuit and a pair of (very,  _ very _ ) short shorts whose been trying to shove her tits in his face all night. He hasn’t even talked to her because he doesn’t want to deal with the headache this girl would cause.

Cherry can see that because he’s pulling up right behind Joe, pressing their bodies together with a “Want to save water by showering together?”

“Back off.” The girl snaps.

“I would love to!” Joe smiles.

Later, Joe is lathering shampoo into Karou’s hair, making a mental note that the shampoo is about to run out.   
“Joe?”  
“Hm…”  
“Never mind.”

  
  


Doesn’t mean Joe takes it lying down.

There’s a mousy girl who can't be more than 13 timidly trying to get Joe’s attention. The louder, more outgoing women, are trying to climb all over him. He shakes them off and walks up to her. “First time?”

She gives a little nod.

“S isn’t that much once you get used to it.”

He notices she's wearing pins up and down her denim jacket. One of a cherry blossom, one of an Italian flag, there's a yeti, and a little cat and a cartoon fire. He also sees one of a rainbow… he puts the pieces together and Cherry is skating past.

He slams his foot down in the center of Carla and sweeps Cherry into a dip. “Are you my pinky toe? Because I’d like to bang you on all my furniture.”

Cherry is staring up at him and Joe gives him a little kiss before putting him back on Carla and giving him a little push to get Cherry started.

Karou started off mad after S, ready to give a lecture on responsibility.  
He changed his mind very quickly.

When a gal with fire-engine red hair on roller blades is skating next to Cherry, he pulls up on the other side and slips his toes over the edges of the boards, holding the two close. “Did you have Lucky Charms for breakfast? Because you look magically delicious!” He winks.

“I’m not interested.” the girl is still mooning over Cherry.

“He wasn't talking to you.” Cherry snaps back.

They don't even make it to either apartment that night.

And when Joe’s done eating Cherry out like a champ he smirks:   
“You don't taste like Lucky Charms.”  
Cherry lifts his head to glare at the man.  
“But you are magically delicious.”

He gets a pillow to the face.  
It's worth it.

Joe just won his race and Cherry is waiting for him.

“I’m a bit sweaty…” Joe smiles as Cherry comes in for a hug.

“Wanna save water and shower together?”

“That sounds familiar.”

Cherry smiles under his mask. “It’s supposed to.”

They’re in a bath rather than a shower.

“Joe?”

“Mmm?” Joe opens one eye.

“I’m sorry I’ve never said it before now, but me too.”

“Mmm?” Joe starts paying full attention. “What haven’t you said?”

“I love you, too.”


End file.
